I bumped into Major as he was coming out of the office. There is always a chill. As Tories kept telling me, he loathed me, and could never understand how I had helped build him up when he was advancing through Cabinet, and then tore into him once he made it to the top. For my part, I couldn’t understand why he couldn’t understand it, given I’d never hid my politics.
Alastair Campbell, The Blair Years
There’s a media campaign gathering to suggest Julia Gillard is somehow stalking, or should be stalking, Kevin Rudd. Apart from journalists’ natural love of leadership speculation, it is primarily driven by the right-wing media and the Opposition in an effort to destabilise a Labor government, aided by cranky ALP malcontents with a high opinion of their own abilities and the extent to which the party leadership should be listening to them. If and when Gillard replaces Rudd — most likely some time after 2013 — she’ll be savaged by the same conservative spruikers who are building her up now, and the process will start over.
Media games. Some things don’t change in politics, no matter where or when.
No doubt the same journalists, from Fairfax, News, the ABC, Crikey and others who so breathlessly drove the Costello challenge story.
Different day, diifferent pollies, same story.
Leadership speculation is the “I Love You” of political journalism. It’s what you say when you can’t think of anything else, but have to say something.
I’m all for opening party leadership to public ballots of some form. Hold them midway through each electoral term. That should stop all of this “we made a deal/no we didn’t” stuff we go through every few years.
Well, here’s the thing. Yes the media cycle is exploiting the somewhat brittle popularity platform of PM Rudd inversely proportional to willingness to sledge.
On the other hand, Gillard is a more authentic exemplar of tribe ALP and everyone knows it from the nasal drone, to the factional allegiances. Certainly that’s a reason Rudd arguably will always garner more swinging votes for brand ALP, because he can attract more unrusted swing voters, subject perhaps to Gillard’s First Woman PM premium amongst 50% of the public.
But there is an even bigger broader historical cycle unfolding in politics – the GFC was not a hiccup. It was a demonstrable indicator of failure of capitalism. To that extent Gillard is on the more Leftish side of history less implicated in corporate corruption. (I say less so while obviously playing footsies with industry on uniform awards, and McDonalds marketing etc.)
Which reminds me of the Tea Party ructions in the USA, echoed here with mainstream attacks on Ruddy from the Right about too little Action, and credibility gap over what Pallin calls that “hopey, changey thing working for you now?”. What is its basis apart from usual culture of complaint? My guess it’s raw democracy getting more fractious and yes ill disciplined and chaotic and energetic as a result of the socially disaggregating nature of the inter tubes. This thing called web 2.0. And truth to tell the fact Pallin, and Abbott alike, don’t have any answers to the real historical unravel over growth fetish, hyper immigation ponzi scheme, reducing quality of life, dare I say impending hammer of climate change. How long until we hit The Road?
At least that’s my guess and no I don’t really understand it properly but it sure is an interesting voyeuristic ride of a social wave too.
Ok, so we’ve spent the last few years talking about Howard, Costello, Malcolm, Abbott etc…whilst the government does nothing…but now…..THE LINE MUST BE DRAWN ON LEADERSHIP SPECULATION!
But nobody’s talking about Julie Bishop!